Memories

I know it’s terrible, but i still have nightmares of Kersey’s turnover when he was looking for Cliff, and Magic heaving the ball down court.

what are you doing up so late dave?

Sam Bowie for Buck Williams. at the time I frowned because Sam was just coming back from all his injuries and I had hope that he would get us to the promise land.

I remember him being the highest % shooter in the NBA, but had to giggle because he was much like Joel in that he very seldom shot and if he did it was a wide open lay-up or a put back.

I remember it was about that time when the NBA changed some of the rules to give MJ a better chance at scoring and that took lots of Buck’s game away from him. He did adjust though.

I remember the goggles.

I remember he was very conservative with his money and didn’t spend like the rest of the NBA players.

Most of all I remember his defense and his ability to control the boards.

Drexler and Porter

There were so many, but I think the best ones on the court were when Clyde would soar impossibly high to pick a lob pass out of the air with one hand and then in the same motion slam it through the hoop. Only a few players could do it and reach the height that Clyde would get — players like MJ, Dominique, David Thompson, Dr. J, Connie Hawkins.

The other great moments I remember best on the court were Buck and Karl Malone engaged in hand-to-hand combat, game after game fighting for position on the low block – literally throwing each other out of bounds at times. The rules weren’t the same in those days. Today, they both would get ejected with flagrant feels in the first quarter of almost any game they played against each other.

But the funniest moment I remember from that era was the night that The Schonz interviewed Drexler at center court after a game. Bill kept asking Clyde leading questions in the form of statements (You guys shot well … Your defense was great … etc, etc) and each time Clyde would start his answer with exactly the same words, “No doubt about it, …” . Clyde never realized what he was doing, but the Schonz quickly realized that Clyde was going to repeat “No doubt about it, …” to begin every answer as long he kept framing questions in that style. After about a half dozen questions the crowd was laughing hysterically each time Clyde started another answer, and Schonely just kept right on setting him up for about a dozen questions. People were doubling over in laughter in their seats.

Clyde never realized that night why the crowd was roaring, but Clyde’s wife Gaynell was apparently quite embarrassed for Clyde. The radio station replayed the interview for a couple of days and “No Doubt About It” signs and T-shirts showed up at games for quite some time. Clyde took it all in good humor, but it was rumored that Gaynell hired a professional to teach Clyde how to do interviews, and “No Doubt About It” disappeared from his list of favorite phrases.

he was all about hustle and hard work. i never had the talent but i tried to play like he did. with reckless abandon. got me into a fair share of trouble playin that way. :-)

everytime i think of that era, i think of Kersey. He’s still my favorite Blazer….

Fresh off our trip to the finals, and the Kings were in town. My dad scored tickets somehow, and off to the Coliseum we went.

Long story short, extreme blowout, went home very happy, and I actually got to see my hero Clyde Drexler, and the rest of the guys who were my heroes (but not as much as Clyde) as well. Best game I ever went to until my 2nd L*ker game.

Don’t remember much about them, but I know I know now it must have been the finals. Now I know what all the fuss was about.

I’m going to research it. But my first Blazer game I went to I remember we beat the Spurs and we won like 121 to 97. I got to find that game, because I want to know what date that was.

I was a pretty casual fan when Buck came aboard. I knew most of our players’ names, but I sorta followed the games in passing.
But when Buck came aboard, I remember The Oregonian and the TV news going crazy about what a good player this guy was and how awesome it was that we got him. I started following a little more closely after that. The BAM, I was soooo hooked. watching buck play with the familiar names, it just seemed like he was the missing piece (to use a tired cliche).
Buck was not the captain, but he might have been the anchor.

It was against the Warriors in December of 1992. It was the first Blazer game I had ever been to, and I was so ecstatic. My aunt got me tickets for an early Christmas present, and that truly was one of the best presents I ever got as a child.

       we were to have Jerome Kersey and what a high flying talent he was. Then we got to the finals, and I remember hearing the national broadcasters seeing him for what must have been the first time, because they were wondering out loud why they hadn’t seen his highlight reels before and where he came from. Proud moments for us.

1. When the Blazers won the 1990 Western Conference finals in game 6 at Phoenix, Hornacek took the last shot, which Buck rebounded and at the sound of the buzzer, he threw the ball into the air and the whole team mobbed him. I cried if I remember right.

2. When I met Buck at an autograph session, for which I stood in line for hours, and he was such a nice guy, which was a contrast to his on-court persona. I remember his voice sounded weird to me. And for some reason, as a kid, I was expecting to see him in his goggles, which he wasn’t wearing, of course.

3. He heard him give a speech about his recently-deceased grandmother in 1992, and the role she played in his faith, as a lead-in to the evangelist Billy Graham, and it was clear that Buck was a man of great character and genuineness.

was like our little secret. He didn’t have the cred of a Stockton, or a KJ, got, forget Magic Johnson, but he was a GREAT PLAYER. He came from Wisconsin-Stevens Point (whatever that is), and developed a complete game- the perfect compliment to Drexler’s Batman routine.
Those teams were greater than the sum of their parts.

I’ve never seen any of those guys play, but I remember fanposts advocating just about every one of those guys becoming Blazers assistant coaches. I’ve seen Drexler dunks on Youtube though.

Almost impossible. If you were a fan of that team through that time period, it’s more of a process or entire picture.

This isn’t a memory, but it is how my perceptions have changed with the passage of time. I’ve since looked back, in old video and classic games on television and I still wonder at that team. Porter, Drexler, Buck, Duck, and Kersey were a great, great, team. It’s NOT homerism, it’s just plain true. It’s almost a crime of Karma that that team never won a championship.

There is a lot of luck involved in the stars aligning to win a championship, and even though you earn the success you accomplish, I think that Blazer team ultimately a little unlucky. It may be a case of my being a homer on this, but I think I’ve seen far worse teams win O’ Brien trophies, before and since The 90’s Blazers. In so many other time frames that team is a N.B.A. champion…maybe more than once..

But despite the fun, excitement and pure entertainment that those Blazer teams provided ultimately they met the wrong team at the wrong time. Detroit had the hall of fame All-Stars and the experience…and at that time we had yet gone through the crucible of finals. Later, we met Chicago, when it was too late to really stop the universal force that was Jordan and Pippen. I don’t like to remember the year Magic and The Lakfers beat us in the WCF’s because I really feel that was that teams best chance…and it got stolen by a last gasp of fading Laker team.

But it’s alright. Time passes. And overall? My fond memory? The whole team, the whole time period. At best? Porter was a tough as nails competitor, Drexler was the smooth gliding MJ of the Western Conference and Kersey was the kamikaze competitor that everyone feared. Buck was the equalizer that allowed us to compete and beat the Utahs of the league and like Dave, I never worried about how we would fare at the PF position, which is saying volumes about how good Buck Williams really was. Not to mention Duckworth often playing unlikely hero, as the force that often got overlooked, only to score the big basket to provide the winning margin of victory.

When I watch old video of that team now? I wonder how we did NOT win a championship. We had an efficient and almost unstoppable 1/2 court game and our running game was an unmatched thing of beauty.

it was pushin the ball too much when there was nothin there, but hey, that’s what made them so entertainin and led to such amazin plays. they took a lotta risks, but Adelman wanted them to play fast and loose like that.
i don’t believe today’s team could play that way and prosper, but it would be fun to see that style of play again…

Game 2, Western Conf. finals. My daughter was in labor with her first child. The TV in her room at Good Sam was tuned to the game which continued all through labor and delivery. The Blazers beat the Lakers 109-98. I remember nothing about the game (except the win), however, the boy born that day was with me at most of the games I’ve gone to over the last few years.

part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7ItXFy9xTA

part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4LrdW-KdxE&feature=related

first round vs Seattle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-pJ__aA7aA&feature=related

WC semi finals vs Jazz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJLPBkKalvw&feature=related

WC finals vs Lakers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huxEniTe8HY&feature=related

Game 6 WC finals Lakers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvhALypYBAw&feature=related

I was young and skinny…

… Just the feeling, win the series & we’re NBA Champions.

Absolutely classic game. When Terry muscled to the hoop at the end of regulation for the 3 point play to tie the game, we went nuts. Bust A Bucket was played many a time that night, my friends.

Also, Game 1 against the Jazz that year when TP hit 6 3’s in a blowout. That team was so physical on D and so relentless in pushing the ball the other way-what a joy to watch. A lot of the playoff games from 1990-92 are on youtube, and I’ve been reminded of how good Duck was with that little J. Ahh…good times.

I was 13 and for whatever reason couldn’t get the game on TV, so I had to listen to the Schonz in my room – like almost every other game that magical season. We were in Detroit and Drexler hit a clutch shot in the final minute to seal the game. I freaked out…jumping up and down and did a fist pump – hit the low ceiling in my room and almost busted my hand. Good times, man. Good times.

I loved that team.

I was 10 in ’89. My parents had just separated and divorced. I guess you could say I turned to the Blazers as my distraction. And I loved that team.

I begged my mom to get Franz bread so I could get the Trail Blazers trading cards.

I cut out newspaper stories and headlines and profiles and tributes, many of which I laminated and kept safe with my trading cards.

I collected the Dairy Queen glasses, and to preserve them I stuffed each one with newspaper and boxed them. (Now if only I could find the box)

I listened to Bust A Bucket and Rip City, Rap City a million times… my best friend and I would play the songs and write down the words, only we could get just one word at a time, so we had to hit rewind so many, so many, so many times.

I was fortunate enough to go to games on occasion but mostly caught the games on the radio. The Schonz was such a vital piece of the team to me… to this day when I hear him on the radio I find joy.

 I played a lot of basketball in the driveway. Even though I was always Terry and I was always hoisting up game winning 3’s at the buzzer, my buddies and I made sure to practice our Clyde the Glide double leg kick upon release of our shots… vintage Clyde.

We would’ve practiced dunking like him too, but, you know, we were short white guys. So we resorted to dunking like him on the Nerf hoop that could be hung on the top of a door. We managed to go through a number of those Nerf hoops.

One summer I went to Larry Steele’s basketball camp. Terry was a guest and he did an autograph session. I had his rookie card which he signed for me… still my most prized card… it’s in one of those card holders with 3/4" thick plexiglass.

I recently heard Buck speak of how he hated the protective goggles he wore, which I found shocking. Those things were special to me… like a cape to a hero. He put those on, stepped on the hardwood, and turned into the enforcer that nobody messed with. A true Power Forward.

I wore headbands in honor of Uncle Cliffy, the originator of that re-fad in the NBA.

Duckworth owned a home in Beaverton, which I remember driving by more than once in absolute amazement.

The good ol’ days… Man I loved that team.

shown life-size in the Oregonian – I think, during the 91-92 season. Also, that Kersey (of whose game I was exceedingly fond) had relatively small hands for his size, which made his dunks all the more amazing to me. I believe he said something to the effect that his hands made dunking problematic. There he’d be, a zillion feet in the air and desperately trying to keep control of the ball. Didn’t he come in second to Jordan in the dunk contest when Jordan had that iconic from-the-freethrow-line dunk?

but now I realize how valuable a steady (boring) backup PG can be on a contending team, and I wish the Blazers had one, heading into their next championship run

Bayless is the opposite of Young, but if Jerryd ever becomnes the starter it would be nice to have someone like Danny backing him up (perhaps Armon Johnson will develop into “that” guy, but) for now a player older than 30 would be a good idea in case Miller finally hits the injury wall hard.

Heck, I’d settle for a backup PG older than 25, but the more playoff experience and BBIQ, the better

Mostly, I just remember the constant fast break… Clyde pokes a ball, steals… dishes to Porter… Clyde and Kersey streaking down the wings like banshees… Porter dishes to Kersey who either feeds Clyde or does his own monster thunder dunk at full speed…. Man that team was EXCITING!!!

Then there was Clyde’s jumper… miraculously, IT WENT IN! But man, that thing was so flat and wierd looking… no arc… just sort’ve straight at the rim and suddenly down through the hoop.

Also remember Buck’s goggles, Terry’s constant sweaty face and his 3 pointers, Big Duck doing the double pump fake… all that good stuff!

And of course… the Schonz…. Rip City Baby!

That crazy come from behind win over the Sonics at the Tacoma Dome.

that was then.

My hope is that Buck can do his job and do it fantastically. I don’t give two hoots about hiring people because they were part of the history… i want them to perform.

But how does this thread not have 800 comments!

I was a kid and teenager during the Adelman-coached Blazers. I remember the earlier 80’s teams of Jim Paxon and Kiki, but the Buck Williams era was when the good times really started to roll. A few more memories to add to the pile.

- Drexler was great. But it wasn’t just Clyde and the supporting cast. Granted I was just coming into an understanding of the game, but each member of the starting 5 seemed to me like members of a superhero team. Each a bit larger than life, with a winning personality, and with distinct skills they added that were all important. Anybody could have a big night, and I remember combing the box scores to see how many had a 20 point game the next day.

- Also, every kid knew who all the Blazers were. The only real debate was which one was your favorite. Or which Western Conference playoff opponent was more villainous. There weren’t a lot of arguments about 3rd string point guards, assistant general managers, salary cap or PER. Clearly we didn’t know how much fun we were missing out on.

- Watching them come to Willamette University in Salem for training camp. It was the closest I’d ever gotten. They were huge! These guys sure didn’t seem so big on TV, or imagining them on the radio …

 - The white “signature” ball caps a friend and I had, and thought were pretty darn cool.

- Bench warmer Nate Johnston. In my memory, he was always sitting on the bench with a towel on his head.

- Rick Adelman’s cracked voice.

- The Affable Mike Shiminsky

- Buck Williams awesome voice. Also, Buck Williams awesome voice while rapping. Thanks, Z100.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5pGfakssHc)

- Watching Blazer games somewhere, preceded by pizza and pitchers of rootbeer.

- Taking it for granted that the games would be fast paced and exciting. Also, waiting for “the run” to happen. And the wait usually didn’t take long. It also seemed like there were approximately 1000 dunks in each game. Or if there was another type of score, it surely came with a cool nickname, like “duck hook” or “TP for 3”

- Sitting on the edge of a couch. Falling off that edge when something amazing happened (mercy, mercy ….), or when something tragic happened (Uncle Cliffy, no!), or when I needed to write out a death warrant for that smarmy Michael Jordan.

- Terry Porter, SGA. (sweatiest guy alive).

- Watching on TV, but turning it down for the radio with the Schonz. There was debate about which method was best and sometimes the tape delay was a bit much, so there was switching back and forth. If there was a Blazersedge back then, surely there would have been a poll about this.

- The Mike Rice “Swami” bit in Rip City magazine. It was a more innocent time before Confucius or Merlin.

- Those are kid memories, but as others have pointed out, even now when watching that team on replays of classic games … they really were a powerhouse, and just so fun to watch. I remember seeing one a couple of years ago, when our current team was just starting to seem like it could be pretty good. And then watching that 90’s team in action suddenly it seemed like our current squad was a high school team in comparison. It was a reminder of what a team with great chemistry looks like when everything’s working right. The difference between an over achieving team, and one that has a whole different set of gears. They had their setbacks and their limitations, but when everything worked, they really were a great squad. They played like they enjoyed the game.